approach to hospitality facilities to give them
a sense of place. It is something Deetjen does
instinctively. Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont, is a good example.

“Topnotch respects its surroundings,” she
says. “The lobby transforms over the course
of the day. You can have breakfast overlooking the mountains, and at night the
same space becomes an après-ski scene as
people gather around an exquisite shuffleboard table built by some of the best craftsmen in Vermont.”

she’s taking the same approach at a Flori-da project, an assignment she got from theowners of Wentworth by the Sea, a hotel andspa in New Castle, New Hampshire, after sheworked on a renovation of the Wentworthlobby, and the design of Salt, the hotel’s for-mal restaurant, and Latitudes, a more casualdining spot by the resort’s marina.

“I want to get to the heart of what people
want in Florida,” she says. “The design
has to be of that locale, which is not at all
like being on the coast of New Hampshire.
People are there for different reasons, and
the spaces should reflect that.”

deetjen uses indigenous materials and local
artists and craftspeople to accomplish that.

in the lobby at Topnotch, a
sitting area has the look and
feel of a contemporary living
room and the warm pine on
the wall and ceiling reminds
guests this is Vermont.